Belarus to serve quail eggs in schools starting 2025

A tiny egg with big ambitions: Belarus bets on quail eggs to transform school meals. Will kids—and farmers—embrace the change?

, and Administrator

2026 March 22 . 7:04 PM

1 min read

Here in this picture we can see a boiled egg and other meat item present in a bowl.

Belarus to serve quail eggs in schools starting 2025

Belarus is set to introduce quail eggs into school meals starting next year. The move follows an order from President Alexander Lukashenko to expand their use across the country. While common in Japan, these eggs remain rare in most other nations, including the US and UK.

Quail eggs are already a regular part of school lunches in Japan. Their nutritional value is higher than chicken eggs, containing around one-third more nutrients. Yet, outside Japan, their use in schools is limited—only appearing occasionally in places like Germany or France for dietary variety or allergy reasons.

In Belarus, the shift aims to boost local production and cut reliance on imported poultry. A farm in the Salihorsk district already supplies both raw and boiled quail eggs. The government sees this as a step toward self-sufficiency in the food sector. Cost, availability, and a general preference for chicken eggs have kept quail eggs off most school menus worldwide. As of 2026, no global data tracks their widespread adoption beyond isolated cases.

The new policy will see Belarusian schoolchildren receiving quail eggs from 2025. The change aligns with broader efforts to strengthen domestic farming and reduce import dependence. For now, Japan remains the only country where such eggs are a standard part of school diets.